Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-05

herself.
aWherever It is,p she said, srm to meet a
most fascinating young man. He's a man
who appreciates my modest mental graces,
too, II some other people don't He has the
most perfect manner to ladies ever saw
He isn't one Of your intellectual slouches who
never sees whether lady is comfortable or
notn
Robert looked from his book
as IL young Martin, may asl,7'
aOh, then, there is something you are inter-
ested inf"
aBecause If it's young Martin, he's person
whose charming devotion is no credit to any
lady. Seriously, / shouldn't like to have him
hanging about you, Brownie"
aOh, thank you. But / think l can tell
who's proper to hang about me. I'm old
enough, too, goodness knows"
aOh. come now, Brownie, that's nonsense.
Really, is it Martin you meanP
"Really, l won't tell YOU"
GWon'tl"
GBy the blessed broomstick, mop
He was getting little vexed. Brownie
watched the knitting brows and exulted lie
meditated moment. "But insist on know
ing"
"Oh, you do. How very unfortunate"
"If you don't tell me this, )" he said, II shall
think you would be capable of keeping things
| from me in earnest"
Brownie flashed smile at him from her
dancing brown eyes, her white teeth and scar
| let lips.
"Trust me oil, or trust me not at ALL" sho
murmured.
perhaps" he said, "you'd like it to be not
at alll"
any other adorer would like it, anyway"
because" he continued, "it can bo man
aged well enough. Ned Bryson and his wife
and sister start for tho Sandwich Islands
from California in two weeks They'll be
| over there in the Pacific year or two They
are my best friends. I belong to their party
properly, but I've been wasting my time
hero. They've complained before that de-
serted them. Now they write asking me for
the last time to join them"
allow touchingp
II ought to have gone to them long ago
If do so now, you won't object, suppose"
"Not II"
1t was the mere ragged end Of q cob web
for them to quarrel about, yet they quar-
relied.
every well, then, since it makes 10 dI-
ference to you, I've made up my mind to
60"
"Oh, by all means"
"Then must start at once. shall bid you
good-by tonight"
$50 we shall not have the honor of seeing
you at--Christmas, suppose9"
He answered slowly and quito seriously:
| "I-have other views"
Brownie turned white. But it was only
/ Than la liftla v-or1rNlOato hoIaOrnd
herself on one foot, gave him saucy glance
actually whistled--
| "Good-by, Brownie"
"Good night, Mr.. Edgerly."
| She went with her friends, and they danced
| on into the small hours, and Brownie was tho
merriest of them all. She felt worried pTi-
vately about the quarrel yet she was sure no
would come back next morning.
But Robert Edgerly did not come back. If
he had waited till morning he would have
come He would not have had the heart to
do what he did. But he was angry. A train
left Linwood in two hours. 1t connected
with the midnight western express at Ches-
terton. When Brownie came home and went
sleepily stairs next morning he was already
100 miles away. He had q temper, when it
| was up.
Brownie came down from her late sleep at
noon, weary, pale and little cross.
II didn't like to disturb you before" said
Shirley, "but here's note Robert sent me.
You will know what it means, l suppose"
1t was brief note of farewell. He had
started for the Pacific, he wrote. The jour-
ney was an unexpected one and he was sorry
to leave, but Brownie could explain matters.
So he was gonel
Brownie read the letter again and again, to
make sure. She was dazed When at last
she could not help knowing the truth she
leaned her head upon Shirleys faithful shoul-
der, and cried to break her heart.
II never thought he'd go. Inever thought
it, she sobbed II only teased him for the
fun of it"
The trouble was not any easier for her to
bear, either, as the days went on and the tall
lover did not come back. She clung for long
against reason to the hope that his heart
would fail at the last, and he would yet re-
turn before the vessel sailed
Christmas came and went Christmas was
to have been her wedding day. The winter
heightened into spring, still no word from the
missing ore Then Brownie gave up looking
for him.
So it was not to be all peaches and cream
for her. She still wore his ring, the quaint
circlet Of turquoise and forget-me. not he had
placed ON her finger that day in the autumn
woods. She did not know where to send itto
him. Not word had come.
She waited awhile and then rallied, this in
consistent young lady did, bitterly against
the falseness, the heartlessness of the mascu-
line sex. She carried it off bravely enough
among her young friends. 1t was easy to
say that they had quarreed and he had gone
OFF in huff and wasn't coming back. She
meant to do as she liked, sweetheart or nc
sweetheart, and gentlemen who didn't ap.
prove her ways needn't, that was all.
But she fretted secretly, nevertheless, and
pined visibly. She had been more in earnest
in caring for Robert Edgerly than in any
thing in her butterfly life before. With Shir-
ley she broke down and did not deny that
she was fretting her life out Shirley made
no solemn face over the matter. Shirley
laughed at her and rallied her to keep up hel
spirits.
aReaIly, do you think he will ever come
back, Shirley" she asked her sister
"Can't say, probably not But don't worry
about it, Get another lover. That's the
best way for a young lady to cure a broken
heart You've plenty of admirers, I'm sure.
"But they are all such stupids after him"
"You ought to have considered that before
you teased him So"
"But never thought he would go off in
earnest. They alwaysdo come back. They
seem to like it. He's the first man ever
saw that Couldn't manage as pleased